Ezra 3

Rebuilding the Altar

1 k When the seventh month came, and the children of Israel were in the towns, the people gathered as one man to Jerusalem. 2 Then arose Jeshua the son of Jozadak, with his fellow priests, and l Zerubbabel the son of m Shealtiel with his kinsmen, and they built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, n as it is written in the Law of Moses the o man of God. 3 They set the altar in its place, p for fear was on them because of the peoples of the lands, and q they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, burnt offerings morning and evening. 4 r And they kept the Feast of Booths, s as it is written, t and offered the daily burnt offerings by number according to the rule, as each day required, 5 and after that the regular burnt u offerings, the offerings at the new moon v and at all the appointed feasts of the Lord, and the offerings of everyone who made a freewill offering to the Lord. 6 From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord. But the foundation of the temple of the Lord was not yet laid. 7 So they gave money to the masons and the carpenters, w and food, drink, and oil to the Sidonians and the Tyrians x to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea, to Joppa, y according to the grant that they had from Cyrus king of Persia.

Rebuilding the Temple

8 Now in the second year after their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, z Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and z Jeshua the son of Jozadak made a beginning, together with the rest of their kinsmen, the priests and the Levites and all who had come to Jerusalem from the captivity. They a appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to b supervise the work of the house of the Lord. 9 And z Jeshua with his sons and his brothers, and Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together b supervised the workmen in the house of God, along with the c sons of Henadad and the Levites, their sons and brothers.

10 And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments came forward with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord, d according to the directions of David king of Israel.

11 And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord,
e "For he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel."
And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. 12 But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' houses, f old men who had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice when they saw the foundation of this house being laid, though many shouted aloud for joy, 13 so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shout from the sound of the people's weeping, for the people shouted with a great shout, and the sound was heard far away.

  1. Cross References
    Nehemiah 7:73
    So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all Israel, lived in their towns. And when the seventh month had come, the people of Israel were in their towns.
    Nehemiah 8:1
    And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel.
  2. Cross References
    Matthew 1:12
    And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel.
    Luke 3:27
    The son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri.
  3. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 3:17
    And the sons of Jeconiah, the captive: Shealtiel his son.
    Matthew 1:12
    And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel.
    Luke 3:27
    The son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri.
  4. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 12:5 - 6
    But you shall seek the place that the Lord your God will choose out of all your tribes to put his name and make his habitation there. There you shall go.
  5. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 33:1
    This is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the people of Israel before his death.
  6. Cross References
    Ezra 4:4
    Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build
  7. Cross References
    Exodus 29:38
    Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs a year old day by day regularly.
    Numbers 28:3 - 4
    And you shall say to them, This is the food offering that you shall offer to the Lord : two male lambs a year old without blemish, day by day, as a regular offering.
  8. Cross References
    Zechariah 14:16
    Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths.
    Nehemiah 8:14 - 17
    And they found it written in the Law that the Lord had commanded by Moses that the people of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month.
  9. Cross References
    Exodus 23:16
    You shall keep the Feast of Harvest, of the firstfruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field. You shall keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor.
    Leviticus 23:34
    Speak to the people of Israel, saying, On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Booths to the Lord.
  10. Cross References
    Numbers 29:12 - 38
    On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall keep a feast to the Lord seven days.
  11. Cross References
    Numbers 28:11 - 15
    At the beginnings of your months, you shall offer a burnt offering to the Lord : two bulls from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish.
  12. Cross References
    Numbers 29:39
    "These you shall offer to the Lord at your appointed feasts, in addition to your vow offerings and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings, and for your grain offerings, and for your drink offerings, and for your peace offerings."
  13. Cross References
    1 Kings 5:6
    Now therefore command that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me. And my servants will join your servants, and I will pay you for your servants such wages as you set, for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.
    1 Kings 5:9
    My servants shall bring it down to the sea from Lebanon, and I will make it into rafts to go by sea to the place you direct. And I will have them broken up there, and you shall receive it. And you shall meet my wishes by providing food for my household.
    2 Chronicles 2:10
    I will give for your servants, the woodsmen who cut timber, 20,000 cors of crushed wheat, 20,000 cors of barley, 20,000 baths of wine, and 20,000 baths of oil.
  14. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 2:16
    And we will cut whatever timber you need from Lebanon and bring it to you in rafts by sea to Joppa, so that you may take it up to Jerusalem.
  15. Cross References
    Ezra 1:3 - 4
    Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel - he is the God who is in Jerusalem.
    Ezra 6:3
    In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king issued a decree: Concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, let the house be rebuilt, the place where sacrifices were offered, and let its foundations be retained. Its height shall be sixty cubits and its breadth sixty cubits.
  16. Cross References
    Ezra 2:2
    They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:
    Ezra 4:3
    But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers' houses in Israel said to them, "You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we alone will build to the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.
  17. Cross References
    Ezra 2:2
    They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:
    Ezra 4:3
    But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers' houses in Israel said to them, "You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we alone will build to the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.
  18. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 23:24
    These were the sons of Levi by their fathers' houses, the heads of fathers' houses as they were listed according to the number of the names of the individuals from twenty years old and upward who were to do the work for the service of the house of the Lord.
  19. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 23:4
    Twenty-four thousand of these," David said, "shall have charge of the work in the house of the Lord, 6,000 shall be officers and judges.
  20. Cross References
    Ezra 3:8
    Now in the second year after their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak made a beginning, together with the rest of their kinsmen, the priests and the Levites and all who had come to Jerusalem from the captivity. They appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to supervise the work of the house of the Lord.
  21. Cross References
    Ezra 3:8
    Now in the second year after their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak made a beginning, together with the rest of their kinsmen, the priests and the Levites and all who had come to Jerusalem from the captivity. They appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to supervise the work of the house of the Lord.
  22. Cross References
    Nehemiah 10:9 - 10
    And the Levites: Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel.
  23. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 6:31
    These are the men whom David put in charge of the service of song in the house of the Lord after the ark rested there.
    1 Chronicles 16:4 - 6
    Then he appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the Lord, to invoke, to thank, and to praise the Lord, the God of Israel.
    1 Chronicles 25:1 - 2
    David and the chiefs of the service also set apart for the service the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who prophesied with lyres, with harps, and with cymbals. The list of those who did the work and of their duties was:
  24. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 16:34
    Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!
    1 Chronicles 16:41
    With them were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest of those chosen and expressly named to give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever.
  25. Cross References
    Haggai 2:3
    Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes?
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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